LAS VEGAS -- Manny Pacquiao hasn't had much to say during the buildup to his megafight with Floyd Mayweather on Saturday (Showtime PPV/HBO PPV, 9 p.m. ET) at the MGM Grand Garden Arena. But Freddie Roach, Pacquiao's Hall of Fame trainer, sure has.
Roach, a gift to reporters looking to fill their notebooks, always has a lot to say, and it has been no different in the lead-up to one of the biggest fights in boxing history.
Roach has met with the media several times during fight week and has taken his cracks at Mayweather, saying Thursday during a press conference that he has fallen asleep watching some of Mayweather's recent fights because they were so boring.
Roach said he likes Pacquiao's chances to pull the upset because Pacquiao (57-5-2, 38 KOs) will be the fastest opponent Mayweather (47-0, 26 KOs) has faced in a long time.
"Floyd's never fought anyone with better speed than [Pacquiao] has, and I believe we have better speed," Roach said. "I believe we have better power than he has, and we're using that. I don't think Floyd's legs are there anymore, and he can't run for 12 rounds because we will catch him on the way. We're ready to go 12 hard rounds and that's what we train for.
"I think we can win a decision. We can outpoint him, no problem."
Roach said he has spent a lot of time breaking down video of Mayweather's fights but pointed to his split-decision win against Oscar De La Hoya in 2007 as a good one to dissect.
"I learned a lot from Floyd's fight with Oscar De La Hoya," said Roach, who trained De La Hoya for the bout. "I thought [De La Hoya] won the first six rounds and then lost track of the strategy. We learned a lot about how Floyd sets traps, and Manny recognizes how he sets traps. He won't fall into it ever, and Manny knows exactly what to do in every situation.
"Manny is definitely ready for this fight. We've had a great strategy. We've actually really worked on this fight together. Manny took me into his room many times to dissect tape on Mayweather and how he fights against certain people.
"This is the first time he has ever asked me to watch film with him. I liked what he showed me on the tape, and I think that we're perfect for this fight."
Roach said that showed him how seriously Pacquiao is taking the fight with Mayweather, a fight that will go a long way toward defining the legacies of both all-time greats.
"From the first day this fight was announced, I've seen a different attitude in Manny," Roach said. "He has really taken his training to a new level. He is very motivated, and I love what I see every day."
